Examine the roots of football and its rise to modern prominance.

This course will explore the history and culture of football, with a focus on the World Cup and on Leicester City Football Club.

We’ll explore the origins of football, from early clubs to professional leagues and European competition; the role of media and formation of the Premier League; the World Cup from origins to Russia 2018; and how LCFC became unlikely Premier League Champions.

The University of Leicester and De Montfort University have joined Leicester City Football Club to give a unique insight into the history and sociology of the sport, and the inside story of a premier league club.

0:08Skip to 0 minutes and 8 secondsThis is a familiar scene played out each weekend at stadiums all around the world. Many of these fans will play football in muddy fields a million miles from football's elite. In this course, we will explore football and its place in society. The Premier League is now watched by millions worldwide, and it's become dominated by a small group of super wealthy clubs. So it's particularly surprising, when in 2016 a relatively small and unsuccessful club managed to win the Premier League, defying odds of 5,000 to one, and in the process turning the football world on its head. We'll be using this club, Leicester City, as a case study to explore the history of the game and the social role of football today.

0:51Skip to 0 minutes and 51 secondsAnd we'll be asking you, as fans, why football is important to you. This ball is a very famous ball in Leicester City's folklore. It comes from the 1928-1929-- We'll finish the course by exploring the scenes that took place here in 2016 and finding out how they affected, not just the 30,000 fans inside the stadium, but the quarter of a million at the victory parade, and many millions worldwide. But has anything really changed? The big clubs are dominating again, transfer fees are growing ever more incredible. Has the game lost touch with ordinary fans? Help us to explore how football still matters by joining us on this free course.

What topics will you&nbspcover?

A history of football from early leagues and formats, through to the present day.

The influence of the media, and European football, on the English game.

The social impact of football: on fans and communities, through disaster and euphoria.

A history of the World Cup, from origins to Russia 2018

A case study of one Premier League club, looking in detail at their folk history and modern success.

A detailed look at Leicester City Football Club’s remarkable ‘great escape’ and title-winning season 2015-16.

An examination of the present state of football, and how it might change in the future.

When would you like to&nbspstart?

Date to be announced

Add to Wishlist to be emailed when new dates are announced

What will you&nbspachieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Summarise key points in the history of football, from its roots to the Premier League

Evaluate the role football plays in society, from fans to local and international communities

Debate economic influences and motivations in modern football

Discuss the current state of football, and its role in society

Who is the course&nbspfor?

This course is designed for anyone interested in football and its background, its place in world culture and media, in the Football World Cup, and in LCFC and its effect on the city of Leicester and in the wider world.